The field of the present invention relates to archery sights. In particular, an archery bow sight is disclosed herein that includes one or more pins that are each illuminated by a corresponding protected optical fiber.
A wide variety of archery bow sights have been developed previously. Ideally, in a typical archery bow sight, a pin, reticle, cross-hair, or other reference marker is positioned relative to the bow so that when visually aligned on a target object at a given distance (i.e., when the archer holding the drawn bow looks through the sight with the reference marker on the target object), an arrow shot by the bow will hit the target object. One example of a suitable type of archery bow sight 300 is disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,110 issued to Johnson, and includes a sight ring 310 and multiple sight pins 350 mounted on the sight ring 310 and extending toward its center (as in the example illustrated in FIG. 1; only one sight pin 350 is shown). The sight ring 310 is attached to and held in position relative to an archery bow (not shown) by mounting hardware 320, which can typically include one or more adjustment mechanisms 330 or 340 for properly positioning the sight ring 310 and sight pins 350, respectively, relative to the bow. Any suitable or desirable combination of one or more degrees of translation or rotational freedom can be provided by the adjustment mechanism. Once the archery bow sight 300 is properly adjusted, to aim the bow, the archer aims the bow and sight 300 so that a sight reference point 399 near the tip of one of the pins 350 is visually aligned with a target object. In many cases, the archery sight 300 includes multiple sight pins 350 arranged to define multiple corresponding sight reference points 399 along a substantially vertical sight line 398 within the sight ring 310. In such an arrangement, each sight pin 350 corresponds to a different distance-to-target, and the archer visually aligns the appropriate sight reference point 350 on the target object according to the archer's knowledge or estimate of that distance. The sight line 398 can be an virtual line along which the multiple sight reference points are arranged, or can comprise an actual string, wire, or other structure spanning the sight ring 310.
Illumination of each pin 350 at its corresponding sight reference point 399 enhances its visibility to the archer and thereby facilitates the archer's use of the archery bow sight 300. In some examples, the sight reference point 399 is illuminated by the distal end of a corresponding optical fiber 360. A proximal portion (not shown) of each optical fiber 360 is arranged in any suitable way to receive light (ambient light or light from a light source), while a distal portion of each optical fiber 360 is arranged on the pin 350 to transmit at least a portion of the received light to emit the transmitted portion from its distal end at the sight reference point 399.
To direct the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber 360 in a rearward direction 2 (relative to the forward, shooting direction 1 of the bow), toward the archer, the most distal segment of the optical fiber 360 is arranged substantially parallel to a forward-rearward axis (hereinafter referred to as the sighting axis). The pin 350, however, extends across a portion of the sight ring 310 in a substantially transverse direction, so that a more proximal segment of the optical fiber 360 typically is bent so that a still more proximal segment lies along or across a forward edge or surface of a sight pin member 301 of the pin 350, as in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2A-2C.
The optical fiber 360 typically is somewhat fragile, and segments of the optical fiber 360 are relatively exposed at the front edge or surface of the pin member 301. That combination of fragility and exposure can lead to damage or breakage of the optical fiber 360 during handling or use of the bow. For example, accidental bumping or other impact on the optical fiber can damage it or break it, e.g., during mounting or installing the archery bow sight 300 on the bow or during adjustment of the position or alignment of the archery bow sight 300 relative to the bow. Bow hunters sometimes use their bows to push through brush or foliage while hunting, also potentially leading to damage or breakage of the optical fiber 360.
Enclosing the exposed portions of the optical fiber 360 within a metal tube (e.g., such as tubing suitable for making hypodermic needles) has been employed to protect the optical fiber, but such tubing often proves to be nearly as fragile as the optical fiber.